Ectropion is when a dog’s eyelid appears like it is sagging away from their eye rather than resting against it. It usually affects the lower eyelid and it causes a “droopy eye” look.

When the lower eyelid stretches and doesn’t rest against the dog’s cornea, it causes chronic irritation and secondary conjunctivitis, or pink eye.

With ectropion, a dog’s eyelids, blink reflex, and tears become unable to perform their normal functions of cleaning, shielding, and lubricating the eye. The loose eyelid exposes the eye to air, dust, bacteria, and stagnant tears. This causes the conjunctival sac to be chronically inflamed, which leads to conjunctivitis.